Fall has always been a major source of inspiration for me. Maybe it's the crisp air, the smell of burning leaves, or all the vibrant colors. More likely it's all of the above, but I find myself writing a lot more and spending as much time as possible outdoors by a crackling fire. It's truly my favorite time of the year. It's too bad this precious window of time lasts only a couple of weeks before the frost and snowflakes begin to appear. Actually, around here it's not terribly uncommon to have already seen a light dusting. Pretty soon we'll be staring out the windows at bare branches trying to figure out if the day's task is worth the suffering and risk of frostbite that leaving the house poses. November is also a time for giving thanks. I am so thankful for my Indiana Voice Journal family, our contributors, and all our loyal readers each month. You all are the reason we do what we do. We get some pretty wonderful literary submissions and artwork. Much like the amazing Autumn leaves- they're varied, unique, and full of vibrancy! This month is no less amazing (are we biased?!) We have a great selection of poetry, fiction, artwork, and creative non-fiction. Lots of new faces as well! Our featured artist is Bert Happel who not only has a nice feature in the issue, but his work also graces our cover. Special thanks to Sandeep Kumar Mishra for the use of his artwork as well. Get outside and enjoy the crisp, fall air while it lasts, but I hope you’ll give the November issue a perusal. I might mention also, that nothing feels better than a positive comment! Show your thanks by supporting our authors and artists with your kind words of encouragement.~Jennifer Criss, Art Editor
POETRY
A Poem by Andrew Hubbard: "Simple Pleasures"
A Poem by Milton Montague: "home in Indy-an-a"
A Poem by Vartika Srivastava: "Those Eyes are Watching You!"
Three Poems by Claudine Nash: "Bark Callus," "Warm Your One Sure Purpose," and "All Doors Day"
Haiku by Angel Edwards: "Day"
Four Poems by Blanca Alicia Garza: "Holding On," "Cherished Dreams," "Illuminated Reflections," and "The Forgotten"
Two Poems by Madu Chisom Kingdavid: "Without You (For a Beloved)" and "She Whispered Something (To an Egyptian Lady)"
Three Poems by Mark Danowsky: "Fray," "Needful," and "Seams"
Three poems by Steve Klepetar: "Summer's End, Traveling West," "The White Hour," and "Between the Lines"
Two Poems by Sanjeev Sethi: "Birthing" and "Tetrads"
A Poem by Robert Nisbet: "Stand in the Light, John"
Four Poems by Colin Dodds: "Rogues' Gallery," "The Survivor's Half-Meant Lament," "Unreliable Testimony," and "Peculiar Mirrors"
Seven Poems by Goirick Brahmachari: "Now that Winter," "An Ektara," "Love in 1970," "This Anger, this Wrath," "Numb," "The Other Side of the Hill," and "Nervous February."
Three Poems by G. Louis Heath: "A Shrill Cry on the Wind," " Love of Nothing," and "Lyrics Larder"
A Poem by Donna Arthur Downs: "Autumn Moments"
Three poems by Donal Mahoney: "Gardening in Autumn," "Seasons of the Year," and "Breakfast with Ted"
Two Poems by Richard Manly Heiman : "Someday We’ll Incarnate You in Porcelain" and "Family Album"
Three Poems by Joan McNerney: "Twelve Steps to Winter," "Winter Watch," and "Woods"
VISUAL ART
Photography feature by Bert Happel
CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAY
CNF/Essay by Donal Mahoney: "Long Before ISIS"
CNF/Essay by Frank Morelli: "An Open Letter To People Rocking Out in Cars"
CNF/Essay by Michael Marrotti: "Check Out My Blog: The Fallacy Of Contemporary Poetry"
FICTION
Fiction by Daniel Adler: "Confluence"
Fiction by N.D. Coley: "The Pumpkin Hatch"
Flash Fiction by A.S. Coomer: "The Yard Sale"
Flash Fiction by Rosanne Trost: "Monster"
Fiction by Harlan Yarbrough: "The Big Bang Theory"
Fiction by Richard Krause: "Hamid, the Water Carrier"
Fiction by Andra Land: "Field of Lavender"
Fiction by Pat Tyrer: "Mrs. Bash's Predictions"
Fiction by Andrea Cox Christen: "Keepers of the Lot"
Fiction by Adam Matson: "Sertraline Dreams"